Introduced
earlier this year, the 320 Sundancer will replace Sea Ray's popular
310 model, and in my view she's destined to win the hearts of even
more cruising families. Responding to input from focus groups across the
country, Sea Ray has made changes in her layout that achieve the seemingly
contradictory goals of increased living space and greater stowage capacity.
And she's not just a stretched version of the 310; Sea Ray has given
the 320 a new hull form, redesigned for better fore-and-aft balance and
a smoother ride in rough seas.

Part
of the extra space comes from a modest increase in size, an addition of
about 20 inches to her overall length and three inches to the beam. Although
three inches doesn't seem like much, added along a length of 30-some
feet, it adds nearly eight square feet of area to the interior and deck
spaces, while the additional length adds about 20 square feet to her layout.

Just
as important as size, however, is how Sea Ray uses that extra space. In
the saloon there's a big, crescent-shape settee along the starboard
side that is far less intrusive than the fixed dinette that was used in
the 310 model. In the 320 a removable table makes the saloon a cozy dining
area, but when mealtime is over, the table can be stashed in its stowage
cuddy, converting the entire saloon into an open entertainment space.
At bedtime the settee serves as a berth for an extra guest or two little
ones.

To make
the saloon seem even larger and more open, there's a wide mirrored
panel above the back of the settee. A similar mirrored panel above the
midcabin's U-shape settee serves as a unifying element that makes
the entire saloon/midcabin seem like a single open space. To enhance the
illusion, the stairway up to the bridge deck is comprised of open steps
cantilevered from a slender center pillar that barely disrupts the visual
field between the saloon and midcabin.

With
all the spaciousness, I wondered where all the stowage was. Sure, I could
see that there were three big eye-level cabinets above the saloon's
settee, flanked by two even larger ones, all faced with an attractive,
low-maintenance cherry veneer-like Formica, and the galley had several
big cabinets, both above and below the countertops. But Sea Ray's
marketing specialist, Gary McCloud, told me the 320 had more than 132
cubic feet of enclosed stowage space. "Where is it?" I asked.

Beneath
the saloon sole, there are two stowage bins, one 15"x20" and
another 46"x20". Behind the starboard settee, there's
a 12"Dx18"Hx42"W hidden stowage cabinet that is accessed
by pulling the back of the settee towards the centerline. Then there's
the cavernous space beneath the island berth forward, the large hanging
locker to starboard, and another big cabinet beneath the TV on the port
side. You get the idea. Sea Ray made other changes as well. One I especially
like is the centerline island berth, offering access on all three sides,
instead of the angled berth on the 310 and some other models.

About
the only thing I didn't care for was the shower setup in the head.
The head itself is spacious enough, about 41⁄2'x3' with four mirrored
cabinets at eye level and a large under-sink stowage space. But the "shower"
itself is one of those pull-out-of-a-faucet affairs that attaches to a
bracket on the bulkhead, and the "enclosure" is just a curtain.
Granted, there's a limit on what can fit on a boat this size, but
if you're going to offer a shower, it ought to have a fixture and
an enclosure that won't douse the other essential facilities in
the area.